The arrow was shot by Apollo and hydra was saved. And it made the other thugs scatter but Apollo's focus shifted upon on the towering figure in the distance—the man whose very presence seemed to warp the sky itself.
Cerberus.
But even as the looming threat approached, the palace warriors were already rallying to the frontlines. These warriors—elite protectors of the serpentine kingdom—had trained their entire lives for moments like this. Clad in shimmering armor engraved with ancient runes, their weapons were forged in the fires of the sacred volcanoes. They moved with precision and confidence, ready to defend their home.
Apollo, king of the serpents, stood tall at the center of the force. His eyes, blazing with crimson fire, scanned the battlefield. The thugs who had attacked Hydra were nothing more than a nuisance, but Cerberus, striding forward with unbothered ease, was the true enemy.
"Form up!" General Zaltor, the commander of the royal guard, bellowed as his soldiers fell into formation. Their spears gleamed under the dying sunlight as they prepared to face the monstrosity that had come to their kingdom. "Hold the line! For Apollo! For the stone!"
Hydra watched from a distance as his father's soldiers took their positions. He wanted to help, but he knew he wasn't ready. His father had always kept him shielded from battle. Apollo's voice boomed over the field, the authority in his command unmistakable. "Hydra, get to safety. Now!"
But Hydra's feet were rooted to the ground. He knew Cerberus was no ordinary threat—this was a creature of legend, feared across countless worlds. And he was here… for the stone.
---
Cerberus, for his part, strolled casually into the heart of the battlefield, his form relaxed, his lips curled into an arrogant smirk. His eyes gleamed with amusement as the palace warriors lined up to face him, their weapons aimed at his heart.
"Is this it, Apollo?" Cerberus called out, his voice a deep, mocking rumble. "These are your finest warriors? They'll hardly last five seconds."
Without waiting for a response, Cerberus raised his hand, and plasmic energy crackled to life around his fingers. The air shimmered with heat as a bolt of plasma shot forward, cutting through the ranks of warriors like a hot knife through butter.
The first line of soldiers disintegrated, their screams lost in the roar of the plasmic wave. The remaining warriors recoiled, their once confident stance faltering.
"Hold the line!" General Zaltor shouted again, but there was fear in his voice now. The plasma had melted the very ground beneath their feet, turning the stone street into molten lava.
Several warriors rushed Cerberus, desperate to land a blow. Their blades gleamedas they swung at him from all sides. But Cerberus didn't even flinch. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned more plasmic energy, a blinding wave of destructive force that vaporized everything in its path. The warriors never stood a chance.
Apollo's eyes narrowed. He knew Cerberus wasn't even trying. The warriors, though brave and powerful, were nothing compared to the monster that now approached. "Enough," Apollo growled, stepping forward. "If you want a real fight, face me."
---
Apollo's transformation was swift, his body elongating as he shed his human form. His six serpent heads rose, each one as large as a building, fangs bared, eyes glowing with ancient power. The ground trembled beneath him, the stones cracking under the immense weight of his form. He was the king of serpents, and today, he would remind the world of that.
But Cerberus didn't change. He remained in his human form, smirking up at the towering Apollo. "You think I need my true form to defeat you? How amusing." He raised his hand again, and this time the plasmic energy coiled around him like a living thing, crackling and snapping in the air.
The remaining palace warriors tried to intervene, but they were no match. General Zaltor and his best fighters charged once more, desperate to assist their king. Their spears flew, their swords cut through the air with deadly precision. But Cerberus was untouchable. Plasma shields erupted around him, deflecting every attack with ease.
One by one, the warriors fell, consumed by Cerberus' plasmic onslaught. General Zaltor himself was hurled back by an explosion of energy, his armor shattered, his body broken. No one was left standing.
Apollo bared his fangs, rage burning in his eyes. "You'll pay for this, Cerberus!"
With a deafening roar, Apollo attacked. Six heads lunged, fire spewing from one, molten rock from another. The streets turned into rivers of lava as Apollo unleashed the full force of his elemental powers. Buildings crumbled under the intensity of the assault.
But Cerberus simply laughed. "Predictable," he muttered. In a blur of motion, he vanished, reappearing behind Apollo with a crackle of plasmic energy. Before Apollo could react, Cerberus struck—a bolt of plasma ripping through Apollo's back, sending waves of pain through his body.
The serpent king staggered, but he wasn't done yet. With a flick of his massive tail, he sent a shockwave through the ground, stone pillars erupting beneath Cerberus' feet, trying to catch him off guard.
Cerberus jumped effortlessly, hovering above the destruction as if gravity itself meant nothing to him. He raised his hand again, and tendrils of plasma shot forth, wrapping around Apollo's necks. With a single, devastating motion, he yanked Apollo down, slamming him into the ground with such force that the earth split beneath them.
"You should've stayed in your palace, Apollo," Cerberus mocked, his voice filled with scorn. "You've failed your people, your warriors… and now, you've failed yourself."
Apollo, his six heads struggling to rise from the crater, managed a weak growl. "You're here for the stone… you won't find it…"
Cerberus chuckled. "Oh, I think I will. You see, the fragment of the dark stone belongs to me now. Your warriors tried, but they were nothing. Just like you."
---
In the chaos of the battle, Hydra had found his way back to the palace. His heart pounded in his chest as he raced down the ancient stone corridors, the walls shaking with the sounds of destruction above. He had to find the stone. He had to stop Cerberus.
He reached the ancient basement, a place even his father had never shown him. The air was thick with centuries-old dust, but as he ventured deeper, he saw a faint, pulsating light at the end of the hall.
There it was. The room that housed the dark stone fragment.
The door was engraved with serpents, their eyes gleaming as if they were alive, watching him. Hydra pushed the door open, his breath catching in his throat.
At the center of the room, on a pedestal bathed in purple light, sat the dark stone fragment, pulsing with an otherworldly energy. It seemed to hum with power, calling to him. Hydra approached slowly, mesmerized by the ancient artifact. He could feel its pull, its potential. But he knew that Cerberus was coming for it, and if he didn't act quickly, the kingdom would fall.
Another deafening explosion shook the palace, and Hydra knew that the other warriors—those who still lived—were giving their lives to delay Cerberus.